Silver Sapphires
by Aariah
Summary: Tinah leaves home after a disaster leaves her parents dead. Berwald is a traveling mercenary, a sword for hire. How does the cycle of a thousand years change their fate? Genderbent Finland and Denmark, AU.
1. Beginings

I know I need to update the canadaxreader, it just I have hit a bit of a block on that story. This one just came out I guess. I would love if people reviewed. And no, I do not own the characters, however everything else if of my own imagining.

* * *

The rock of the cave walls contrasted highly with the silver of the computers. The seer's hands glided across the touch keys of the computer. Quickly she typed up her mandate, and sent it out as soon as she had checked it over.

Beckoning to her aide she called softly "How much longer until they come to take us?"

The aide's pale blue eyes held no emotion as he confirmed the seer's worst fears. Sighing softly she raised her body from the low steel bench she had been positioned on and walked to the fire. Casting herbs into it, she then turned away from the fire, as she didn't want to make it appear as if she were worshiping the child-eater. Therefore, she took herself into the mouth of the cave and laid herself at the Lord's mercy, submitting completely to him. After her prayer was finished, she walked back towards the fire, pungent now with the scent of the now burnt plants.

Leaning forward, once again her mind sent a small prayer, and giving up completely she thrust her head into the hearth, her wispy hair surrounded by the blue flames that were not allowed to touch, even fleetingly, her body. She saw images, ones that disturbed her to no end. When she finally pulled her head out she looked onto her aide, who was for the first time since she had known him, showing emotion.

Her mouth moved of its own accord, a white light seemed to be shining from somewhere else, though it happened to shine out through her body. It reflected against the silver in the room, making even the seer's eyes smart a bit. She couldn't hear the words coming from her, but her aid rushed for a paper. Quickly he scribbled in his neat hand the words that she was saying.

About a quarter of a mark later, she woke to a dark room. She saw the aide standing at the cave mouth. He turns toward her and said the words she had been hoping for, "A prophecy."

* * *

2000 YEARS LATER, 1000 A.C (Note, the A.C actually in this case stands for after collapse.)

She watched as the fires in the camp slowly, one by one, went out. Then taking her quiver of arrows and her bow, as well as the rest of her belongings, she made her way into the forest. Walking softly so the noise was kept to a minimum she made her way to the clear, still water that marked the boundary. Looking down on her reflection, she saw a short figure, long white-blonde hair escaping from a messy braid. Her long pointed ears held numerous piercings, thick bands of costly silver.

Carefully she leaped over the small pond, barely making it to the other side and disturbing the reflection slightly, small ripples making their way to the spot where just moments before she had been. Now that she was over the boundary, she moved even faster, stopping at a small clearing.

"Norge, I know you are there, might as well come out." Her slightly older cousin made his way from behind Tinah, better known as Fin. She smiled good-naturedly at the taller blonde, who just happened to be the hundred-year mage of her family.

His face remained set as he said softly to a now rather nervous Tinah. "I know what you are doing."

She started fidgeting, shouldering her pack more securely. Lucas looked at her with an unreadable expression. "I am going with you."


	2. Chapter 2

Yes, I know it's been absolutely forever, and no, I don't really have an excuse. Hopefully this version of the chapter will be better than the crappy one I had up earlier. I have decided to forgo Berwald's accent, due to various reasons. Please, if you see something that can be improved upon tell me!

No, I do not own Hetalia, do I want to own Hetalia? No, not particularly; too much trouble on my part, I mean who realistically wants to deal with all of the legal work. But please review, I know it gets annoying, always being asked to do so, but it keeps the writer motivated and makes it so they want to continue. Also, if you don't like the way I portray Finland please refer yourself to the actual profile for Finland. Thank you. And yes, this version is MUCH different so even if you have read the first version you ought to read this one as well.

* * *

She watched her cousin's face across the fire, the blue eyes expressionless. They had stopped a little while ago, far enough away that they wouldn't be pursued when the sun rose. Not that Tinah was someone worth chasing after; that was Norge. Being the only one in her family that could practice magic made him invaluable, and what person is just going to let an important resource walk away? His eyes, closed slightly and the hint of a crease between his brows betrayed the fact that his mind was deep in thought. Finally after a time he speaks softly.

"Am I allowed to ask why?" His voice was flat; however, after years of knowing him she could sense the hurt. Feeling a pang of guilt, she hangs her head. She didn't really know how to respond to that, not at all. How can you tell someone who has always acted like a brother to you that you needed to go?

"I can't tell you why. So the question would have no answer." Her voice shakes slightly, and her eyes fall to her hands that were fiddling with pine needles. Seeing Norge's look of doubt she continues. "I don't know why myself. Its like some force is pulling me away-"She throws a small stick into the flames, "from those people." The last word comes out bitterly, and she makes a face as if saying it left a bad taste in her mouth.

Norge looks away into the soft green and blue night. "So you left with no horse, no planning whatsoever?" His voice has gone back into the bored tone that normally was heard.

Fin offers a grim smile. "I'm not that stupid Norge. If I had taken a horse, they would have gone after me in a heartbeat. I think I have saved enough silver to buy one. But then you decided to tag along," Reaching up she fingers the various earrings in her ears. "These are all silver and gold, they should bring something. I have some supplies, not a lot but then I think we could just trade for some in the next town."

Norge nods, a slight movement of the head that you wouldn't have been able to catch had you not been paying attention. "So you aren't stupid after all. Here-"tossing a pouch over to Fin he continues, "I thought this might be useful. Are you planning on hiring a guide?"

Fingering the drawstring of the pouch, Tinah works open the knot. Inside were small gold disks, the sort commonly used as currency. "I was planning on doing so. Depends on how much it costs." Bringing out her pack she opens it, working a loose seam on the bottom of the inside she slips a few coins inside before pulling the thread holding the seam tight once more.

Norge looks on with interest. "How long have you been planning this?"

Sighing she replaces the things she had taken out of the pack and puts in back. "Longer than I care to admit. I guess I always knew it would come to this."

Norge nods again. "Somehow I figured that would be the case. You do know where we are going correct?"

Fin shakes her head, "Only the general direction, not much more than that. So I am thinking we head to the nearest costal port and go from there."

"That's why we need the guide correct?" Norge confirms. Fin nodding gets out her bedroll and starts laying it out.

"We need to at least get some sleep before dawn." Her voice was tired and Norge, agreeing with that sediment completely, does the same.

THE NEXT DAY—Berwald's POV

Leaning against the brick building, he watches the people in the market. Most took one look at his face and the sword at his side and took a large path around him. It hurt on some levels, but he was used to it. He could remember the day he was turned out of his village after his parents; simple carpenters, died in a house fire. They didn't want to have to deal with the near-silent giant of a teen whose face made their children cry, no one did for the most part. At least they were semi-kind about it. They simply knocked on the door of the room that he was staying and kindly told him to go.

He signed on with a mercenary company the next town over, figuring that it was better than nothing. It was easy really, the sword felt good in his hands. He could swing it in the drills with ease and comfort. In all he spent three years in that particular company, he decided not to renew the contract this year, which left him here. In the middle of a small town square trying to find some sort of job that would carry him over to the next; something that wasn't very easy in a place where the residents had no reason to leave. Therefore, he contented himself in lurking in the shadows; if he got nothing within the end of the week, he would simply take his horse and leave for the next.

Then he saw something, no, someone, that made him stop in his tracks. He had a strong sense of déjà-vu as he watched her make her way into the square, her long pale blonde hair seeming to float around her face. Another person was following behind her, only his hair was a few shades lighter and his face was expressionless.

He heard the trickles of what he assumed to be the woman's laugh, her shorter stature seemed not to play a role in the people who gathered around her, most probably wondering why the woman had a huge bow slug across her back. Berwald decided to watch the duo, their pale skin told him they were from the forest; a place he had learned the townspeople were wary of due to the people with the strange noses and uncanny powers. Looking at the smiling face as she talked to the horse dealer he had admit, her nose was strange, squashed up to her face with two thin slits for nostrils. Her companion had the same, and their ears where a tad longer than most.

Handing the reins of the two saddled horses to the man, she talks to some people, who nod her in his way. Berwald forces himself to keep his mind blank as she walks in his direction. He now notices the color of her eyes, a bright violet and the fact that her hair swung to the weight of a few strategically placed wooded beads. Her ears where covered in piercings, silver rings shining brightly in the early morning sun.

"Hello sir, are you available for hire?" Her voice was sweet and Berwald knew right then that he would probably do anything for this woman.

* * *

TINAH'S POV

She kept smiling to the people as she made her way through the square; she had long since learned that people would be friendlier when she looked happy and naive. How could they know of the visions that often haunted her sleep, visions that not even Norge knew about? She hands the reins of the horses back to Norge and makes her way to the giant of a man leaning by the back wall. The townspeople had told her that he was a freelance mercenary, something that would very well for her purposes. He was intimidating to say the least, but then she saw his eyes and she knew on some instinctive level that he was completely trustworthy.

"Hello sir, are you available for hire?" She somehow manages to keep her voice calm while her body quaked in fear, apparently it hadn't caught up to the inference her heart had made yet. _Well this is going to be fun. _The voice in her mind was sarcastic, voicing her own inner doubts. She could tell already that Norge was doubtful about the man, distrusting him on sight.

"Depends." His voice was deep, resonating within her bones. He spoke slowly, with an accent that she couldn't really trace. _His eyes are such a pretty blue, its almost green… Wait, what am I saying- thinking anyway. Not cool Tinah. Not cool at all… _Before her mind could run another circle around itself he continues. "On what you want done. "

"Are you hiring out as a guide?" She keeps her voice cheerful and light even though she physically felt like she wanted to throw up. She could feel the sting of disapproval that put significant weight to Norge's glare. _Depends, depends on what? What if I am coming across strangely, wait did I approach him wrong? I don't know please please please… _ She wasn't good at dealing directly with people like this, she just wasn't. Only practice kept her face calm and composed.

"Where are you planning on going?" He wasn't downright refusing, so that was a start.

Taking a breath she answers, "We were thinking Cealn. It might change though…" Picking the larger port off the top of her head she continues, "How much would that cost?"

He seems to be in deep thought, and after about a minute, he responds. "You know what; I am heading in that direction anyway. Have to take care of some business. As long as you provide the food I could do it for free."

"Why would you do that?" She blurts out the words before thinking. "We have to pay you something at least. Please, I would feel guilty if we didn't."

"Don't know really. If you insist give me half here then half when we get there." He pauses and names an amount. "Fair enough?"

Nodding she responds. "That sounds fair. Oh, I'm sorry I haven't even given you our names yet. I am Tinah Väinämöinen, and the stony faced person is my cousin Lucas Bondvik."She could feel the glare Norge was giving strengthen but she didn't really care at this point. Business was business, clear and simple. If he felt like being a butt about it she wasn't going to stop him.

"Berwald Oxenstierna." He stated simply. She thought she saw his face soften slightly, and she couldn't help but to smile broadly.

"Meet up here in about an hour?" She asks, they still needed to pick up some more supplies. And she figured he needed to get his belongings as well. He nods and turns to leave. _Now the fun part, dealing with an angry Norge, I don't imagine he is too happy with me right now._

Turning she is met by a cold voice. "Why am I not surprised."

"Because you feel like being a butt maybe; I don't know. You tell me." She wasn't really too worried, he hadn't started off pointing out all the faults she possesses so he couldn't be too furious. _He will warm up sooner or later, he always does. Why should now be any different?_ "Not now though, we have to take care of some things before we can head out."

* * *

Okay, I am liking this version much more than the other. Italics are when the person who's point of view it is in is thinking. Oh, and about the port she named, it is completely of my imagining. If you guys want I can make a 'map' for reference. The next chapter has already been started so it shouldn't be too terribly long before the next update. Again, please review, and tell me if you find anything that doesn't make sense.


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, an actual update this time! Sorry, the updates might be a bit slow with this and my other stories, that is just the way I am. Doesn't help that I have no idea where this is going at this point. The plot bunny has taken me hostage.

Do I own Hetalia? Nope. The story is of my own imagining though...

* * *

It is often said by the broken that God has abandoned them. Their eyes seem never to focus; ever trying to feel a presence that will ease the pain they so suffer with. Some are able to hide it; they place themselves behind a façade of smiles and carefree laughter. Only the ones whom have felt that same emptiness seem to sense it. For a reference to those who have never felt it, that wild broken sorrow that they can never seem to express.

A small child plays alone with various flowers. Humming softly he weaves them together. Looking around he finds a little white bloom, perfect in the damp environment, only when he tries to pick it the petals fall slowly to the soft earth. He looks up to the sky, barely visible through the leaves of far off branches. Standing, he shakes of the droplets of water that slowly fall from his violet eyes. His head turns, and you can see him visibly cover his tears with a smile. His very demeanor changes as he runs away.

* * *

Walking through the market Tinah notices how the people seem to part before them. Norge walks a ways ahead, while she holds the reins to their two new horses, Flyta and Eimar. The silver she had saved turned out to be worth more than she had anticipated. Norge's gold lay untouched in the lining of her pack. Still, she had traded an earring and a few pieces of the gold that she hadn't stowed away for the horses, not too bad really.

She raises her hand to finger the now empty hole in her ear. Her ears; she felt rather awkward because her appearance itself marked her as different. He eyes, her nose even (although that was probably the most obvious thing) marking her as a stranger. Somehow, despite all of the awkwardness she reveled in the attention. Her heart sought the eyes of those people, simply because they didn't know her and were safe to some extent.

She watches idly as Norge bargains with a shopkeeper, his expressionless face clearly unnerving the poor man. Bargaining wasn't something she particularly enjoyed, and Norge happened to be rather good at it so she usually left it to him. He seemed fine with it, and she suspected that he secretly enjoyed the friendly banter. His presence was rather formable, even though he wasn't the tallest or strongest person in the world be gave this aura of steel colored power.

Apparently having gotten what he wanted, Lukas turns and walks back to Tinah. Handing her the goods, he states softly, "That should be about everything. We should probably go and meet that giant of yours."

Nodding she gently leads the horses back to the meeting place. Norge had gotten over his anger fairly quickly, and now contented himself in a state of near silent brooding. The sun on the packed dirt and rock of the ground makes her remember the dream from the early morning.

* * *

_The darkened sky is being lit in flickers; the ground is a mass of shadow and raised edges. Turning, she sees the fires. They were beautiful really, an unlikely mass of blue-green that was oddly comforting, despite the unnatural hues._

_The surface below her starts moving sharply, and she stumbles, falling onto the blackened leaves and pine needles. Looking again behind her she sees silhouettes moving slowly towards her. Somehow, she manages to resist the urge to scream. The fire was calling to her, in the mass of the dull-eyed monsters. It told her to jump, but she couldn't, she would burn..._

* * *

Norge wasn't really surprised when he woke to see Fin poking at the fire. Either she was up for hours or she slept until someone dragged her out of bed by force. More often than not of late she had been up long before dawn, and her temper often showed in the early hours. He quickly learned of her inability to brew the bitter tea they drank in the morning so was quick to go about making it in hopes her tongue would lose some of its sharpness and her hands the tendency to smack any unfortunate that happened to wander too near.

* * *

Berwald was waiting by the time they had finally wandered over, standing silently holding the rein of his horse. Nodding at them, he starts leading the way out of the square before mounting. Both Fin and Norge follow suit and they make their way out of town from there.

Berwald, they soon discovered; was a man of little words. Very little words, his responses to the questions Fin fired off quickly in boredom were often short and to the point. "Berwald, what are you doing?" They had stopped for a while, and probably would stay put there for the night. They had gone fair distance, far enough away that the villagers wouldn't readily be able to tell anyone of their whereabouts if they indeed had decided to pursue.

Berwald shakes his head slightly, his gaze kept going to the bow Tinah had leaning against her packs. _Tinah, her cousin kept referring to her as Fin?_ Anyway, the bow, it was a strange shape in its unstrung state, the smooth wood bending at awkward places. Following his eyes, Tinah nods with a slight smile.

"It looks pretty weird, doesn't it? Norge over there," She nods to Lukas who was looking over some parchment idly, "Found some records of foreigners carrying some sort of bow similar to that. They were recorded to have darker hair and slanted eyes." She glances lovingly at the bow then continues, "The people apparently thought it worthwhile to diagram their weapons to some extent, no pictures but they described them pretty well, so I had Norge help me in experimenting to make that one."

Lukas looks up and adds in, "Had? You pestered me until I helped then pestered more when the first ones didn't work out. Then some more until this one was finished." His voice was flat, though Berwald was getting used to it, that and the fact that he never seemed to show emotion. Regardless of tone and expression, his words easily turned sharp and sarcastic.

Tinah smiles slightly, "Well it did work eventually didn't it? So what if you had to warp a couple of branches." Rising smoothly off the ground her short stature somehow was able to convey grace even with the curves that made up her body. "Do you want to see it? I can string it real quick and show you if you want…" Her eyes were smiling and excited, and she bounced slightly on her heels.

Nodding Berwald responds, "If you don't mind. I haven't seen anything like it before." He was used to the standard long bows the company sometimes had recruits train in; not many really used them due to the size.

Smiling broadly Tinah picks up the bow and brings out a length of waxed string from seemingly nowhere. With practiced ease, she strings the bow, then drawing it experimentally halfway, she slowly releases the string once more. "Well come on, you can't expect to actually see it from there can you?" At her urging Berwald makes his way toward her. "See, the curves here," She gestures towards several parts of the bow. "Make it so when I pull the string," Reaching for a dull arrow she draws smoothly, then releases, the bow making a loud snap. "More stress is built, then when I release the arrow goes farther with more power.

Berwald nods, looking at the tree she had shot the arrow towards. The arrow was now embedded rather deeply in the grooved bark. Unstringing the bow, Tinah asks, "Um Berwald?" Looking toward her, he nods a confirmation. "You mind getting that for me?" Not bothering with a response he simply walks over and with some difficultly pulls out the arrow.

"Your name is too formal you know…" Tinah muses over the fire later that night. Picking at the food Norge ended up making she continues, "I mean, no offense here; but it's so ugh." She shakes her head slightly. "If you don't mind I think I shall call you… Hmm…One sec, okay I got it! I will call you Sve. If you don't mind that is…"

Lukas glares slightly at her, and she shrinks a bit. "Do you have to insist on giving everyone you come across a strange nickname? How on earth do you come up with these things?"

"Because Norge, I feel like it. And Berwald here just looks like a Sve. You don't mind do you?" She looks toward Berwald hopefully. Truthfully Berwald didn't care, he supposed he would grow used to the quirks that both his new employers possessed. Which seemed to be numerable; it could be a nice change though.

"I don't mind." Tinah's face lights up and Lukas covers his eyes with a hand in exasperation.

"That is great! Oh… You must be rather confused at this point. My nickname is Fin and Lukas's is Norge. Kind of weird now that I think about it though." Fin's face scrunches slightly in thought and she continues, "We have called each other that forever though. Oh well, strange is strange. And I don't care in the least truthfully." Suddenly she turns to focus her attention on Sve, who had been listening to her babble in amusement. "You need to talk more. You are way too quiet, worse than even Norge over there." She makes a gesture towards the aforementioned person.

"Sorry… Just not much to say." Sve states softly.

Fin nods, "Makes sense I guess… Well I am thinking it is bedtime. We want to go some distance tomorrow correct?" The others nod their confirmation and move to ready themselves for sleep.

* * *

Short chapter... Not cool. Please review, tell me how I can improve or ask questions in case you are confused (At this point I do not doubt that you are, my writing style is horribly weird in the way that it jumps around.) Anyways, see, Fin can be talkative and her love of nicknames is now showing. Please, I would love some feedback...


	4. Chapter 4

I have finally decided on a name for Fem Denmark, hopefully it will be at least slightly fitting. This chapter is the product of my insomnia, and boredom. Reviews are wonderful; if not only for the fact that they make the research I force myself to do a little easier. Oh, the name is Tilde; this is only going to be a nickname though, because she dislikes her full name. I will leave the guessing to you my wonderful readers, although there is no prize if you do get it correct. I wanted, no needed to include little Icy in here...Is it just me or does every one of the characters seem overly cold at this point?

Also, mind you there shouldn't be any mistakes in this chapter, if you find a typo though PLEASE tell me.

I don't own Hetalia, and I shall leave it at that.

* * *

His eyes opening with a start, Emil looks quickly outside to the predawn air. The room seemed strangely empty, the deep blue masses of darkness settling strangely. Another glace proved the absence of the shadows where his older brother's belongings would have been, Lukas was gone, and Emil knew exactly where.

Being only fifteen didn't mean he was a naïve airhead. People mistook his silence for shyness, when really he could find nothing worth saying. He saw everything even in his self-imposed partial isolation; felt contempt for those whom thought that they were grown when they still threw fits over the smallest things; a broken branch that a preteen was trying to coax softly into a bangle when another wood would have been much more adequate and would have flowed smoothly into its new shape. He knew this of course, but the girl was set on having the wood that could have been sung more suitably into a bow or large spoon.

The triviality of it all annoyed him. He watched for weeks as Lukas observed Tinah's behavior, his brother's bale blue eyes concentrated on the woman as she drew that bow of hers and released the arrows to hiss then make a dull thud as they hit the center of the target. He watched as they both left, sneaking away in the dead of night. He was ready as well, only he had the luxury of waiting until sun was two hours from rising. Thinking over a length of time, Emil had decided to take a different route; one that veered more sharply north to a different town than the one that he knew the others would be stopping at. It wouldn't do to arrive at the same time, his horse was more sure footed than the ones that forest people normally breed, so was able to make its way through the thickly packed trees at a better pace.

Grabbing the various saddlebags he had packed, he silently made his way to his short little horse, Dimma. She was a sweet little thing; of smaller stature than most horses; he mane was thick and stuck up from her head before reluctantly letting gravity do its work. He had been riding her since he was about eleven and a half or twelve. As he saddles her and secures the saddlebags, he looks around anxiously, watching. Finally finished, he gives her a soft touch to the forehead and smoothly swings himself into the saddle.

With a small nonsense sound, she starts walking, once in the forest she settles on a comfortable gait that covered the ground rather quickly. The silver-headed teen allowed himself to watch the sun slowly progress upwards in the east as the bird song rose to meet the sky. He had left the trees about half a mark ago he was guessing, and little Dimma was going to need a bit of a break soon. He lets her relax into a walk, in which she gladly obliges. Hours of riding didn't faze him much anymore, he now only felt the slightest tinges of discomfort. The hours increase faster than he would have thought as Dimma's hooves clack against the gravel of the main street in the village.

He could feel the curious eyes of villagers follow him as he made his way to what he assumed to be the center, where they might be hosting a market of some sort. Finding nothing, he turns back and makes his way to a large building that easily was identified as an inn. Looking around quickly he takes the pack with the things he actually needed and secured Dimma to a nearby post.

The room was dark, with a faint musty smell to it. The innkeeper was large blonde, his hair slicked back sharply. Hearing the door close he turns his attentions on Emil. "Beer or cider?" His voice was deep, with an accent that Emil couldn't identify.

"Cider please." He didn't drink often, it made him feel strange, and strange wasn't something he particularly enjoyed. He had only gotten drunk once, and swore off it afterwards.

The man moves to a shelf situated along the wall behind the counter, taking a plain earthware jug and filling a mug. Digging into a pocket, Emil produces a small coin of brass, and after the man examines it for a second he pushes the mug over to the silver haired teen, who took a small, cautious sip. Sliding over to a stool he watches the man go about his work.

"A little early isn't it?" The man asks idly as he goes about wiping and re-wiping down various surfaces.

"Not really…I have been up for a couple of hours now." Looking down at the plain brownish mug, he runs the tip of a finger slowly around the rim, noting the slight texture.

Nodding, the man replies. "You are not from here. I am guessing you came from the forest. That is the only direction in which the few people who find themselves here seem to come."

Nodding slightly Emil thinks. Thoughts came easily to him, the words in which to express those various, complex thoughts did not. "How many hours would it take, on horseback to get to the next city do you know?"

Pausing in his wiping the man thinks, "Manra? That is at least a good four days if you are lucky."

Mentally going through the provisions that he had brought he shoots off another question, "Are there anymore towns between here and there?"

"One, about a day and a half away; I take it you are leaving now?"

Nodding, Emil makes his way to his feet, glancing at his white boots and noting with distaste the brown smudging. "Thank you." Without another glance the teen makes his way back to Dimma, replaces the pack then leaves.

* * *

_Walking through the forest the sound of birdsong is soft on her ears. "Tino, come on!" a small boy calls out. His pale silver hair seems lit by the morning sun, and his wide green eyes are full of mirth. The rounded, slightly chubby face bright in joy and his lips were upturned into a smile._

"_I'm coming, wait for me will you?" She smiles as she calls out, the child laughs and skips ahead, glancing back every so often to make sure that Tinah followed. Following the child for a way through the trees, then out of them they went. They walked for a while, over rocks, streams in an amount of time that seemed impossible for the distance and the energy it took. All the while the little boy sang, riddles, songs even nonsense words; his voice high and slightly breathy in his young age._

_Suddenly the boy stops, at the edge of a steep hill leading into a churning mass of water. In the distance there were the tall spires of a city, and to the south a huge bay. "Tinah, they told me you have have have to go here. Its going to break."_

"_Where is here?" She didn't know why the water extended to the sky in the distance, she supposed it might be the ocean. _

"_Across the ocean silly. You gotta keep goin. The Highest King said so, so you just gotta. Or it will all fall in again, like when momma gotted drowned. Please Tinah?" The little boy turns his wide eyes on Tinah, "I know momma is OK though. The Highest King said so. Please? It makes everyone cry. Don't cry Tino."_

_Smiling again the boy jumps off the steep incline. Screaming, Tinah races after him, only to stop at the edge at seeing the broken body below; she didn't see the smiling child above racing into the sky. Staying there her tears continue to fall, until the scene is ripped away._

Waking in the morning Lukas notes the still sleeping Finn; then wide-awake Sve poking in the fire. "Should we wake her?"

Norge shakes his head as he packs his bedroll up once more. "Never, ever wake her except in an emergency." If Sve had his own thoughts on this, he didn't voice them. Norge was rather glad to see the woman actually sleeping for once. The times that he had woken up before the sun and him finding her hours up already were increasing in frequency. Even the littlest bit of extra sleep would benefit her, so he figured that starting out a few hours later wouldn't make any difference.

She did wake, about an hour before noon. However, the moment that she opened her eyes they filled with tears. Both Sve and Norge look at her in shock, Norge knowing for a fact that Tinah never cried. Never, she never gave into that thing that she saw as a weakness, she for some reason thought is beneath her.

Dropping down next to her, Sve places a hand on her arm. "He jumped. Why did he have to jump; God why?"

Meanwhile Norge's mind was swirling with the words she had just said. What did she mean, was it a dream or some memory not even he was aware of? Sve on the other hand was fighting the urge to gather the petite woman in his arms. The constant argument against it was who did that for someone within a day of meeting? It caused awkwardness for both, so he forced himself to fight that urge, though her tears at this point where ripping his soul.

Finally wiping the tears off her face, Fin stands. To the amazement of her companions, her face automatically returned to its cheerful self as she scolded them for letting her sleep so late. Neither had seen a transformation so fast in happening, though Sve, when he squinted still saw the lost wild sorrow reflected in her amethyst, jewel-like eyes.

She was quiet that day, when she felt eyes on her she smiled like normal, though whenever those eyes moved away for even a second her face fell. The little boy, why did he jump? The fact that it was all a dream in the first place didn't register, it was still real. Her feet remembered each step she took, and her nose the smell on the wind.

"_Momma" The small child cries, wandering through the red-lighted street, her bare feet leaving muddy prints. "MOMMA! THEY ARE COMING. MO-" The cry turns into a violent shriek as the voice is cut out suddenly and is muffled by a hand. The black-clad figure drags the child away._

Shaking her head, Fin tries to chase the images away. They weren't confining themselves to her sleep anymore apparently, not a good thing at all. Some were happy, a girl playing in a field or brothers trying to make a fort of sticks. Others were horrific, the child being stolen and her home destroyed.

How can there be such evil in the world? Fin's mind asks the same question over and over again. Trying to take her mind fully away from that train of thought she decides to make idle conversation with Sve, who's silence now bothered her a bit.

"Sve, where did you come from?" She keeps her voice light, innocently curious.

His expression doesn't change, but he seems to think a moment before responding. "A small town northeast of here; my parents where carpenters."

"Why did you leave?" Fin pushes a little, hoping that the question wasn't too personal.

"My parents passed so I joined a company for a while." His voice is flat, disguising some sort of emotion that Fin knew all too well.

"Mine are as well. What made you leave the company? I am assuming that you left it at this point." She was trying not to be intrusive, and could feel Norge's glare so she knew that she was failing. Adding in quickly, "You don't have to say if you don't want to." The words tripped over themselves, and it would be a wonder if he actually understood them.

"I don't mind. I didn't like the job, and my contract was up." His deep voice carried some sort of bemusement. Perhaps it was the fact that Fin was actually talking to him that made him open up a little, speak a few more word than he would to anyone. Somehow he really didn't mind.

"That makes sense. What do you actually like to do? Tell me if I ask too many questions or start to annoy you, I tend to ramble a little and it really annoys me because my parents always got mad at me because apparently a good little-" She cuts off, realizing she had gone into a short, little version of the sort ranting she was condemning. She was thankful after remembering what she had been saying that she had cut off when she did.

"Fin, I don't mind the questions. Only if you tell me about yourself also, I like woodwork." Again, there it was, he thought she was amusing of all things. Wonderful, just wonderful, Fin's thoughts spit back at her sarcastically.

"I like archery, which is kind of obvious… We always sung the wood into shapes, so I am not quite sure about the carpentry. It seems weird somehow. Everyone learned how to do it as a toddler; the sticks that found their way into sticky hands where hummed into toys or sung into play weapons." Norge at this point was ignoring the two, lost in his own thought, or the little troll that he claimed follows him around.

"I have never heard of that before." Singing things into what one wanted apparently wasn't very common Fin realized. However, it was the norm within her isolated people, they sung and they hummed throughout the day.

"It's normal where I come from. The blacksmiths in the forge sung to the metal and ore to help shape it, the weavers hummed to encourage the threads to meld together." The images she described were clear in her head, the large muscled Blacksmith's rough voice ringing out against the gentle humming of the women at work. She supposed she should miss it, the feeling of community, but she didn't .

"I figured as much from what you have told me." Sve states softly, wondering just who exactly her people were.

* * *

The second town was bigger, and the and the square hosted a market. Dimma's hooves clacked against the well packed rocks in the street, the homes lining it where of a quality Emil wasn't used to. Dismounting he leads Dimma, who stayed rather calm through the noise of the crowd; through the market. Buying things he needed every so often when he found them, he felt a few eyes on him.

That much he was used to at this point. It came with the territory of having an apparently squashed nose and weird ears. Suddenly, in the front of a produce stall he felt a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Are you planning on leaving here?"

* * *

…It is late. Dialog is the bane of my existence I swear... This is a longer chapter this time, I am rather happy with it. Ugh, reviews are good thing. Especially since it is my birthday… Well only for about two more hours, but still… Thanks for reading.


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